In a guest column for The Washington Post, former Senate majority leader
Trent Lott, once a firebrand partisan when he served in the House, reflects on
the hyper-partisanship on Capitol Hill and how the president must overcome it.

The Mississippi Republican believes Obama’s lack of leadership and
unwillingness to negotiate with Congress is the biggest stumbling block in avoiding
the “fiscal cliff” and putting an end to divided government.

Here’s a sample:

“Divided government has, in fact, worked on many occasions. President Reagan
always had a House of Representatives controlled by Democrats, while President
Clinton had six of his eight years controlled by Republicans. However, in order
to work, the president has to have a love for the bargain.

“From where I sit, President Obama really does not like the messy work of
legislating, which is the key to unlocking a divided government. The give and
take of ‘the deal’ has never appealed to him nor, quite frankly, to many in
Congress of both parties. Yet now re-elected, the president needs to find a way
to embrace this particular leadership skill.

“…He needs to concede that, in this case, effective leadership requires
masterfully steering rather than dictating congressional action.

“Then the congressional leaders will need to step up to the task. They
should begin by staying in session more, and greater communication with each
other would help. Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle and I talked all
the time, and by doing so were able to work through difficult and complex
issues.”

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